Reclining-chair.



N0. 797,841. PATENTED AUG. 22, 1905. C. CONN.

RECLINING CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2. 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

mmvran Cklwrw C'ann mm. n. unmm en HIMQLUVMMZRIMIIB. msumuvou. D c

PATENTED AUG. 22, 1905.

0. CONN. REGLINING CHAIR.

APPLIOATION I-ILED NOV. 2. 1904.

3 SHEETS-"SHEET B.

ATTORNEYS I PATENTED AUG. 22, 1905.

0.. CONN.

REGLINING CHAIR. APPLIOATIDN FILED 1WOV.2. 1004.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

"HI! "Illllllllllll "UIHUIIIHHHunI....--

HIM

INVENTOI? CZzZ'w'm 62mm ATTORNEYS WITNESSES:

unnzw n. nwuu cm mom-urmummns. wmluumu. B c

TE T CALVIN (JON, OF BREMERTON, ASI-HNGTON.

HECLlNING-CHAlR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1905.

Application filed November 2, 190 Serial No. 281,087.

1'0 (t/J/ w/ wm/ it miu l concern:

Be it known that 1, CALVIN CONN, a citizen of the United States. and aresident of Brennerton, in the county of Kitsap and State of Washington,have invented anew and Improved Reclining-Chair, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a simple, durable, andeconomic form of chair which can be used as an ordinary chair orinstantly and conveniently converted into a reclining-chair simply bythe movement of the body of the occupant.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide such a construction ofchair that the occupant may assumea full or a partially recliningposition at will and so that the parts will remain in their adjustedposition as long as desired and will so remain when the chair is vacateduntil the adjusted parts are purposely disturbed.

A further purpose of the invention is to so construct the chair that itwill be light yet strong and free from all springs and controllingdevices adapted to be manipulated by the occupant in assuming differentpositions in the chair and also to so construct the improved chair thatthe parts thereof may be quickly, readily, compactly, and flatly foldedwithout disconnecting any of the parts.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the chair,show ing the chair in ordinaryposition in positive lines and in reclining position in dotted lines.Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the chair as shown by positive lines inFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the chair as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

spective view of a part of the lower portion of a leg-rest and a portionof the foot-rest,

illustrating the said parts in normal position in positive lines and inreclining position in dotted lines. Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectionthrough an arm of the chair, drawn on an en larged scale, and a sideelevation of a combined brace and connecting-link carried by the arm.Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of one of the couplers employed inconnecting sundry of the parts of the chair, and Fig. 11 is a detailperspective View of a part of the upper rear portion of one of the legsand a tip or cap fitted thereto.

The legs of the chair are four in number, being two at each side, andthese legs are designated, respectively, as 10 and 11. The legs arecrossed at each side of the chair, and each set of legs are pivotallyconnected by a pivotpin 12. The legs 10 are longer than the legs 11, andthe said legs 10 extend from the lower front portion of the chair upwardto the back portion at a point above the seat A, to be hereinafterdescribed, while the legs 11 extend from the forward portion of the seatA down ward and rearward to an engagement with the floor or othersupport.

The back of the chair consists, mainly, of two side bars 13, whichextend some distance above and below the seat A, heretofore mentioned,and these side bars 13 of the back are connected at the top by across-bar 14:.

A coupling-block B is mounted to slide on each of the side bars 13 ofthe back, and the said coupling-blocks are preferably constructed as isshown in detail in Fig. 10, wherein a block is provided with a recess inone side, preferably the rear side, and in this recess a spring-tongue15 is fitted, secured in place by a screw 16 or its equivalent, and atthe upper or free end of this tongue 15 a head is formed, and on theinner face of the said head a transverse lip 17 is produced, as is shownby dotted lines in the said Fig. 10, and the recess in which the tongue15 is placed is so made that a lip 17 will extend into the chamber ofthe coupling-block and engage with the rear face of the side bar 13 ofthe back on which the coupling-block is fitted. This coupling-block isadapted to slide on the side bar 13 of the back to which it is appliedand is held in adjusted position. by the engagement of the said, lip orrib 17 of the said spring-tongue 15 with the side bar; but whensuflicient force is employed the said coupling-blocks may be made toslide on the bars 13, upon which they are mounted, irrespective of theengagement of the lip 17; but as soon as the force has ceased to beexerted the spring-tongues will hold the said coupling-blocks firmly inplace.

A trunnion 18 is made integral with the inner face of eachcoupling-block B, and the ends of the trunnions 18 are adapted toreceive machine-screws 19 or their equivalents, and the said screws areadapted to hold washers 20 in place.

A cap or tip C is located at the upper end of each leg 10, and the saidcap or tip, as is best shown in Fig. 11, is provided with an aperture22, extending transversely therethrough. Said aperture 22 of a cap ortip G is adapted to receive a trunnion 18 of a coupling-block B, andafter the trunnion of a coupling-block has been passed through theaperture 22 of a tip or cap the washer 20 is applied to the trunnion andis secured in place by the screw 19.

An upwardly and forwardly extending lug or fin 23 is made integral witheach cap or tip C, and the-fins or lugs 23 are adapted to enter betweenthe members of the bifurcated rear ends 25 of arm-rests D, one of whicharmrests is shown in detail in Fig. 9, and each of the lugs or fins 23is provided with an aperture 24 at its outward or forward end adapted toreceive a pivot-pin 26, which pivot-pin is passed likewise through thebifurcated rear end of the arm-rest,being connected as is shown in Figs.4 and 5.

A longitudinal chamber 27 is produced in the under face of each arm-restD, and this chamber extends nearly from end to end of the arm-rest, andat the rear portion of the said chamber 27 a plate 28 is secured to thebottom portion of the arm-rest, which plate has a longitudinal slot 29made therein, extending through the forward end of the plate.

Slightly back of the forward end of the plate 28 a shoulder 30 isproduced in the said chamber 27 of an arm-rest D, and the upper wall ofthe chamber from the shoulder to a point near the forward end of thechamber is upwardly inclined, as is shown at 31 in Fig. 9. Between theterminal of the upper inclined surface 31 and the forward end of chamber27 a longitudinalprojection 32 is formed, having its ends tapering orinclined, as is also shown in Fig. 9. Thus the chamber 27 of an arm-restis divided into practically three sections a rear section (Z, anintermediate section (Z, and a forward section (Z A link 33 is pivotedat one end in the forward end portion of the chamber 27 of each arm-restD, adapted to normally extend downward from the said arm-rest, and aguide-bar 34 is pivoted at its forward end to the said link 33 at theend which is opposite that pivoted to the arm-rest. The guide-bar 34 isprovided with a longitudinal slot 35, extending nearly from end to end,and at the rear end of each of the guide-bars 34 an upwardly-extendingmember 36 is formed, which extends through the slot 29 of the plate 28of an armrest into the rear section (Z of the chamber 27 of saidarm-rest. A pin 38 is passed through this upwardly-extending member 36at a point above the upper face of the plate 28, as is shown in Fig. 9.

When a link 33 is folded up in an arm-rest D, it fits snugly in theforward section (Z of the chamber of said arm-rest, as is shown bydotted lines in Fig. 9, and at such time the guide-bar 34, connectedwith the link, will be moved backward at its rear end to the rearportion of the rear section (Z of the said chamber 27 of the arm-rest,as is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 9, and the said guide-bar will atsuch time substantially rest in the intermedi ate and rear sections ofthe chamber. The forward and rearward movement of the guidebar 34 islimited by reason of the upwardlyextending member 36 of the bar engagingin its extreme rearward movement with the rear wall of the chamber 27 inthe arm-rest and at its extreme forward movement engaging with theshoulder 30. as is likewise clearly shown in Fig. 9.

In connection with the parts just named I employ a leg-rest E, which isat the front portion of the chair. This leg-rest consists of two mainside bars 36, which in the normal position of the chair serve as frontlegs and occupy a vertical position, as is indicated in Fig. l, andbetween these main side bars 36 the body 6 of the said leg-rest sectionis located. This body a consists of side members 37 parallel with themain side bars 36, yet spaced therefrom, and a board or a covering 38,which is secured to the said side members 37 in any suitable or approvedmanner. The said body-board or covering 38 terminates short of the lowerends of the side members 37, as is shown in Fig. 8.

The upper ends of the side members 37 of a leg-rest E are provided withears 37 and a cross-bar 39, which is in the form of a rod, is passedloosely through the said ears 37 on the side members 37 and through theupper ends of the main side bars 36, the ends of the cross rod or bar 39being made to loosely pass through the slots 35 in the guide-bars 34, asis best shown in Fig. 6. The seat A consists of a suitable frame 40,usually rectangular in shape, and a covering 41 is secured to thisframe. The said frame at its forward end is provided withforwardly-extending lugs 42, preferably integral with its side members,as is shown in Figs. 2 and 6, and the said front transverse rod or bar39 is passed loosely through suitable apertures in the saidforwardly-extending lugs 42 of the seat. The said rod 39 is likewisepassed through the upper ends of the legs 11 of the chair or those legswhich extend from the lower rear portion of the chair upwardly andforwardly. Thus the rod or bar 39 connects the upper portion of theleg-rest E, the legs 11, and the forward end of the seat A with theguide- 797,841 gay bars 3 1, the connecting medium 39 for said partshaving sliding movement in the said guide-bars. The said guide-bars, ashas been stated, have sliding movement in the armrests l).

A yoke 43 is secured longitudinally to the upper face of the sideportion of the seatframe 40 at its rear, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 5,and these yokes 43 are adapted to receive rings 4: 1, which are securedto the lower end portion of the back 4:5, which back may be of anysuitable material, preferably a pliable material. The upper end portionof the back 45 is secured in any suitable or approved manner to thecross-bar 141, connecting the side bars 13 of the back-section of thechair.

Shifting arms 46 have a hinged connection with the lower ends of theside bars 13 of the back-section of the chair, is best shown in Fig. 1.This hinged connection is made usually by securing socket members 47 and47 to the adjacent ends of the said shifting members 46 and the sidemembers 13 of the back-section, and the said socket members at theirouter portions are more or less triangularly shaped, and the hingeconnection 18 between the socket members 47 and 17 is substantially thatof a rule-joint.

The forward ends of the shifting members 16 are pivotally connected withthe main side bars 36 of the leg-rest E of the chair by means of acoupling-block B, and these coupling-blocks have sliding movement on thesaid main side bars 36, as is shown in Fig. 1. Each of thecoupling-blocks B is provided with a trunnion extendingfrom its outerside, the said trunnious 49 being passed through suitable apertures inthe forward end portions of the shifting members or arms, as is alsoshown in Fig. 1.

A foot-rest is employed in connection with the leg-rest. This foot-restconsists of a board 50, which extends in front of the side boards 37 ofthe body portion of the leg-rest somewhat below the body member 38, asis shown in Fig. 8, and the said board 50, which maybe termed abackboard, is provided with socket members 51, loosely embracing theside members 37, as is also shown in Fig. 8, so that the backboard 50may be slid up ward or downward on the said members 37.

A footboard 52 has a hinged connection with the forward lower portion ofthe backboard 50 by means of chains or cables 53, which are secured atone of their ends to the body-section e of the leg-support of the chairand at their other ends are attached to the footboard 52. When thisfootboard is to be straightened out, as shown in Fig. 8, which may bedesirable when the parts of the chair are carried to the inclinedposition, the backboard 50 must be slid upward on the members 37, as thetie chains or cables 53 are not expansible, nor have theyelasticconnection with the parts to which they are applied.

including the legs 10 and 11.

It may here be stated that the couplingblocks B are provided withspring-tongues, preferably at their front portions, corresponding to thespring-tongues 15 described in connection with the coupling-blocks B.

It will be observed that all of the parts of the chair are more or lessconnected and that it is possible for all of the parts to remain thusconnected, no matter whether the chair is folded or whether it iscarried from one position to another. Nhen the chair is in its normalposition and a person is seated therein, it may be carried to theinclined position by the occupant simply shifting the weight of the bodymore or less in direction of the back-section of the chair, whcreu ponthe backsection will act on the trunnious 18 of the coupling-blocks B,which serve as pivots, and the connected parts of the chair will thenassume the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 or a position moreor less inclined.

Then the parts of the chair have been ad-- justed by the occupant, theweight of the oecupant will preserve the chair in its adjusted position,and when the occupant leaves the chair the spring tongues on thecouplingblocks will serve to retain the parts in adjustment until saidparts are purposely read justed.

In folding the chair it is simply necessary to carry upward the rearends of the armrests D, whereupon the forward ends of the arm-rests Dwill drop downward and the front lower portion of the chair will be carried rearward and upward, and the parts of this portion of the chairwill be folded one upon the other and against the back-section, Finallythe arm-rests are dropped down against the folded parts, bringing, forexample, the armrests in a flat position to the front and the side barsof the back to a flat position at the rear, and the other parts willnecessarily oc cupy a Hat folded position intermediate of the saidarm-rests and the side bars of the back, as is clearly indicated inFigs. 4 and 5.

It has not been previously stated how the lower ends of the side members37 of the legrest E are connected with the main side bars 36. Suchconnection is effected through the medium of tie-rods 36, which extendfrom the members 37 of the said leg-rest to the main side bars 36, as isclearly shown in Fig. 2, the connection between these two parts at theupper portion of the leg-restbeing effected through the medium of thepivot-rod 39.

I desire it to be understood that while the forward and rear legs of thechair are shown of different lengths said legs may be of the same lengthwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent--- 1. In a reclining-chair, folding,pivotallyconnected legs, a back having slidable and pivotal connectionwith the rear legs, armrests pivoted to the rear legs, guides havingfolding and pivotal connection with the armrests, a seat having slidingand folding connection with the back, a leg-rest, hinged extensions fromthe side bars of the back, slid ing and pivotal connections between thesaid extensions and the leg-rest, a member mounted to slidein theguides, and pivotal connections between the front legs, the front of theseat and the leg-rests, and the said sliding member.

2. 1n reclining-chairs, folding pivotallyconnected legs, a back havingslidable and pivotal connection with the rear legs at their upper ends,arm-rests pivoted to the same portions of the rear legs, guides locatedbelow the arm-rests and having sliding, folding and pivotal connectionwith said arm-rests, a seat, a sliding connection between the seat andthe back, a leg-rest, shifting members hinged to the lower portion ofthe back and having sliding and pivotal connection with the leg-rest, amember mounted to slide in the said guides, pivotal connections betweenthe front legs, the front of the seat and the leg-rest, and the saidsliding member, a footrest consisting of a body-section mounted to slideupon the leg-rest, a supporting-section hinged to the body-section, andflexible connections between the body and supporting sections of thefoot-rest, controlling the relative positions of the two sections.

3. In recliningchairs, folding pivotallyconnected legs, arm-restspivoted to the rear upper portions of the legs, coupling-blocks likewisepivoted to the same portions of the legs, a back-frame, comprising sidebars and a back between the bars, free at its lower end and connectedwith the side bars at its upper end, the side bars of the back-framebeing mounted to slide in the coupling-blocks, a seat adjustablysupported by the lower portion of the body of the back, guides havingfolding and sliding relation to the armrests, a leg-rest, means forpivotally and slidably connecting the leg-rest, the front portion of theseat and forward upper portion of the legs with the said guides, andshifting members hinged to the side bars of the back and having slidableand pivotal connection with the leg-rest.

4. In reclining-chairs, pivotally-connected crossed legs, a backcomprising a frame and a flexible body secured at its upper end to theframe, coupling-blocks pivoted to the upper rear ends of thelegs, theside bars of the said back passing loosely through the saidcoupling-blocks, a leg-rest,coupling-blocks mounted to slide on the sidebars of the leg-rest, shifting members having hinged connection with thelower ends of the side bars of the back-frame, and a pivotal connectionwith the coupling-blocks on the leg-rest, latches for thecoupling-blocks, arm-rests pivoted to the upper rear portions of thelegs, slotted guidebars pivotally suspended from the arm-rests andhaving folding and slidable relation thereto, a seat adjustablysupported at its rear by the lower portion of the body of the back, anda pivot-rod passed through the upper forward ends of the legs, the upperend of the leg-rest and the forward end of the seat, the ends of whichrod pass loosely through the slots in the guide-bars.

5. 1n reclining-chairs, pivotally-connected crossed legs, a backcomprising a frame and a flexible body secured at its upper end to theframe, coupling-blocks pivoted to the upper rear ends of the legs, theside bars of the said back passing loosely through the saidcoupling-blocks, a leg-rest,coupling-blocks mounted to slide on the sidebars of the leg-rest, shifting members having hinged connection with thelower ends of the side bars of the back-frame, and pivotal connectionwith the coupling-blocks on the leg-rest, latches for thecoupling-blocks, arm-rests pivoted to the upper rear portions of thelegs, slotted guidebars pivotally suspended from the arm-rests andhaving folding and slidable relation thereto, a seat, longitudinal yokessecured to the side portions of the seat at its rear, rings mounted toslide on the said yokes, which rings are secured to the lower end of thebody portion of the back, a foot-rest having slidable and foldingconnection with the lower portion of the leg-rest, flexible suspensionmembers connecting the said leg-rest with the folding portion of thefoot-rest, and a pivot-rod passed through the forward upper ends of thelegs, the upper end of the leg-rest and forward end of the seat, theends of the pivot-rod passing loosely into the slots in the saidguide-bars.

6. 1n reclining-chairs, aleg-rest comprising depending side bars pivotedat their upper ends to the upper front side of the chair to swingthereupon and a transverse section connecting said side bars andextending downwardly from the top thereof and terminating short of thelower end thereof, a foot-rest comprising a transverselyexendingbackboard at the lower end of the side bars on the front side thereof inthe same plane with the leg-rest and spaced therefrom, socket membersrigidly secured to the rear side of said backboard and adapted toloosely embrace said side members to slide up and down thereupon, ahinged footboard extending outwardly from said backboard, and flexibleconnections between the forward side of the footboard and the transversesection of the legrest.

7. In a reclining-chair, crossed pivotallyconnected legs, a backcomprising a frame and a flexible body attached at its upper end to theframe, a seat, a supporting and slidable connection between the body ofthe back and the rear portion of the seat, a leg-rest, shifting membershinged to the lower ends of the side bars of the frame of the back andpivotally and slidahly connected with the leg-rest, a pivotedcoupling-block carried by the upper rear end portions of the legs,through which blocks the side members of the backframe are looselypassed, arm-rests pivoted at their rear ends to the upper rear portionsof the legs, the arm-rests being provided with longitudinal chambers intheir bottom portions, slotted plates located longitudinally at the rearportion of the bottom of said chambers, links pivoted to the arm-restsat the forward end portions of the chambers guide-bars havinglongitudinal slots therein, pivoted to the said links and provided withupturned rear ends which pass through the slots in the plates of thesaid arm-rests and into the chambers of the same, means for holding theextended portions of theguide-bars in the said chambers of thearm-rests, and a pivot-rod loosely passed through the upper end of theleg-rest,

the forward end of the seat, the upper for- Gr. B.-BnNsoN, J. J. ALLToN.

